The Six Step Problem Solving Model - Free Management ...

The Six Step Problem Solving Model · Step One: Define the Problem · Step Two: Determine the Root Cause(s) of the Problem · Step Three: Develop Alternative ... 0 TheSixStepProblemSolvingModel Problemsolvingmodelsareusedtoaddressthemanychallengesthatariseintheworkplace.Whilemanypeopleregularlysolveproblems,therearearangeofdifferentapproachesthatcanbeusedtofindasolution. Complexchallengesforteams,workinggroupsandboardsetc.,areusuallysolvedmorequicklybyusingashared,collaborative,andsystematicapproachtoproblemsolving. AdvantagesofSix-StepProblemSolving TheSix-Stepmethodprovidesafocusedprocedurefortheproblemsolving(PS)group. Itensuresconsistency,aseveryoneunderstandstheapproachtobeused. Byusingdata,ithelpseliminatebiasandpreconceptions,leadingtogreaterobjectivity. Ithelpstoremovedivisionsandencouragescollaborativeworking. ItstopsPSgroupsdivergingintodifferentproblems. ItalsohelpsPSgroupsreachconsensus Iteliminatestheconfusioncausedwhenpeopleusedifferentproblemsolvingtechniquesonthesameissue. Itmakesthedecisionmakingprocesseasier. Itprovidesajustifiablesolution. Allsixstepsarefollowedinorder–asacycle,beginningwith“1.IdentifytheProblem.”Eachstepmustbecompletedbeforemovingontothenextstep. Thestepsarerepeatable.Atanypointthegroupcanreturntoanearlierstep,andproceedfromthere.Forexample,oncetherealproblemisidentified–using“2.DeterminetheRootCause(s)oftheProblem”,thegroupmayreturntothefirststeptoredefinetheproblem. TheSixSteps DefinetheProblem DeterminetheRootCause(s)oftheProblem DevelopAlternativeSolutions SelectaSolution ImplementtheSolution EvaluatetheOutcome Theprocessisoneofcontinuousimprovement.Thegoalisnottosolvebuttoevolve,adjustingthesolutioncontinuallyasnewchallengesemerge,throughrepeatingtheSixStepProcess. StepOne:DefinetheProblem StepOneisaboutdiagnosingtheproblem–thecontext,backgroundandsymptomsoftheissue.Oncethegrouphasacleargraspofwhattheproblemis,theyinvestigatethewidersymptomstodiscovertheimplicationsoftheproblem,whoitaffects,andhowurgent/importantitistoresolvethesymptoms. Atthisstagegroupswillusetechniquessuchas: Brainstorming Interviewing Questionnaires Asthisstepcontinues,thePSgroupwillconstantlyrevisethedefinitionoftheproblem.Asmoresymptomsarefound,itclarifieswhattherealproblemis. StepTwo:DeterminetheRootCause(s)oftheProblem Onceallthesymptomsarefoundandtheproblemdiagnosedandaninitialdefinitionagreed,thePSgroupbeginstoexplorewhathascausedtheproblem.Inthissteptheproblemsolvingteamwillusetoolssuchas: Fishbonediagrams Paretoanalysis Affinitydiagrams Thesetechniqueshelpcollatetheinformationinastructuredway,andfocusinontheunderlyingcausesoftheproblem.Thisiscalledtherootcause. Atthisstage,thegroupmayreturntosteponetorevisethedefinitionoftheproblem. StepThree:DevelopAlternativeSolutions Analytical,creativeproblemsolvingisaboutcreatingavarietyofsolutions,notjustone.Oftenthemostobviousanswerisnotthemosteffectivesolutiontotheproblem.ThePSgroupfocuseson: Findingasmanysolutionstotheproblem,nomatterhowoutlandishtheymayseem. Lookingathoweachsolutionrelatestotherootcauseandsymptomsoftheproblem. Decidingifdifferentsolutionscanbemergedtogiveabetteranswertotheproblem. Atthisstageitisnotaboutfindingonesolution,buteliminatingtheoptionsthatwillprovelesseffectiveatdealingwithboththesymptomsandtherootcause. StepFour:SelectaSolution Inthefourthstep,groupsevaluatealltheselected,potentialsolutions,andnarrowitdowntoone.Thisstepappliestwokeyquestions. Whichsolutionismostfeasible? Whichsolutionisfavouredbythosewhowillimplementanduseit? Feasibilityisascertainedbydecidingifasolution: Canbeimplementedwithinanacceptabletimeframe? Iscosteffective,reliableandrealistic? Willmakeresourceusagemoreeffective? Canadapttoconditionsastheyevolveandchange? Itsrisksaremanageable? Willbenefittheorganization/ Whichsolutionisfavoured? Acceptancebythepeoplewhowilluseandimplementthesolutioniskeytosuccess. Thisiswherethepreviousstepscomeintoplay.Tousersandimplementers,asolutionmayseemtooradical,complexorunrealistic.TheprevioustwostepshelpjustifythechoicesmadebythePSgroup,andofferaseriesofdifferent,viablesolutionsforusersandimplementerstodiscussandselectfrom. StepFive:ImplementtheSolution Oncethesolutionhasbeenchosen,initialprojectplanningbeginsandestablishes: Theprojectmanager. Whoelseneedstobeinvolvedtoimplementthesolution. Whentheprojectwillstart. Thekeymilestones Whatactionsneedtobetakenbeforeimplementingthesolution Whatactionsneedtobetakenduringtheimplementingthesolution Whyaretheseactionsnecessary? Thegroupmayusetools,suchasaGanttchart,timelineorlogframe.BetweenStepsFiveandduringStepSixtheoperational/technicalimplementationofthechosensolutiontakesplace. StepSix:EvaluatetheOutcome Theprojectimplementationnowneedstobemonitoredbythegrouptoensuretheirrecommendationsarefollowed.Monitoringincludeschecking: Milestonesaremet Costsarecontained Necessaryworkiscompleted ManyworkinggroupsskipStepSixastheybelievethattheprojectitselfwillcovertheissuesabove,butthisoftenresultsinthedesiredoutcomenotbeingachieved. Effectivegroupsdesignatefeedbackmechanismstodetectiftheprojectisgoingoffcourse.Theyalsoensuretheprojectisnotintroducingnewproblems.Thissteprelieson: Thecollectionofdata Accurate,definedreportingmechanisms RegularupdatesfromtheProjectManager Challengingprogressandactionswhennecessary InStepSix,astheresultsoftheprojectemerge,evaluationhelpsthegroupdecideiftheyneedtoreturntoaprevioussteporcontinuewiththeimplementation.Oncethesolutiongoeslive,thePSgroupshouldcontinuetomonitorthesolutionsprogress,andbepreparedtore-initiatetheSixStepprocesswhenitisrequired. Overall,theSixStepmethodisasimpleandreliablewaytosolveaproblem.Usingacreative,analyticalapproachtoproblemsolvingisanintuitiveandreliableprocess. Ithelpskeepgroupsontrack,andenablesathoroughinvestigationoftheproblemandsolutionsearch.Itinvolvesimplementersandusers,andfindsajustifiable,monitorablesolutionbasedondata. YoucanreadmoreabouttheSix-StepProblemSolvingModel inourfreeeBook‘Top5ProblemSolvingTools’.DownloaditnowforyourPC,Mac,laptop,tablet,Kindle,eBookreaderorSmartphone. KeyPoints TheSixStepProblemSolvingModelprovidesashared,collaborative,andsystematicapproachtoproblemsolving. Eachstepmustbecompletedbeforemovingontothenextstep.However,thestepsarerepeatable.Atanypointthegroupcanreturntoanearlierstep,andproceedfromthere. Thegoalisnottosolvebuttoevolve,adjustingthesolutioncontinuallyasnewchallengesemerge,throughrepeatingtheSixStepProcess. Step1)DefinetheProblem–Identifyproblemsthroughproblemformulationandquestioning.Thekeyisaskingtherightquestionstodiscoverrootcauses. Step2)DeterminetheRootCause–Duringthisprocess,assumptionsareuncoveredandunderlyingproblemsarefurtherrevealed.Also,thisisanopportunitytocollectandanalyzedata. Step3)DevelopAlternativeSolutions–Decisionsaremadewithinthegrouptodeterminetheappropriatesolutionandprocessthroughcreativeselection. Step4)SelectaSolution–Oncethegrouphasformedsolutionsandalternativestotheproblem(s),theyneedtoexploretheprosandconsofeachoptionthroughforecastingconsequences. Step5)ImplementtheSolution–Developanactionplantoimplementandexecutethesolutionprocess. Step6)EvaluatetheOutcome–Thisfinalstagerequiresanevaluationoftheoutcomesandresultsofthesolutionprocess.Askquestionssuchas:Didtheoptionanswerthequestionswewereworkingon?Didthisprocessaddressthefindingsthatcameoutoftheassumptions? Thisprocesshelpskeepgroupsontrack,andenablesathoroughinvestigationoftheproblemandsolutionsearch. 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